ARMCHAIR ARCHIVES – For our economic security, we’ve got to stop subsidizing Alaska

A nice place to visit, but why don’t we own it? (Mel Rothenburger photo)

The following editorial was first published on Jan. 8, 2025 as Donald Trump was ‘renaming’ the Gulf of Mexico. In view of events this week, it seems current again.

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

IT’S HIGH TIME we corrected a long-standing nomenclature injustice — the Gulf of Alaska must be rebranded to the Gulf of Canada.

There are good reasons for this. Mainly, it would be a beautiful thing, and very appropriate besides. The gulf touches only one U.S. state, while its shores run along two Canadian jurisdictions — British Columbia and Yukon.

We need it for national and economic security. At the same time, another grievance needs to be addressed — the Alaska Panhandle. We were ripped off when the lines were drawn for that one. The 1903 Boundary Commission that agreed on it included three Americans, two Canadians, and a Brit. True to form, the U.S. appointed politicians as its representatives while Canada and the British appointed experts. What the British fellow was doing there in the first place is a good question, especially since he sided with the Americans. We were simply outnumbered.

If you’ve ever looked at a map, you’ll know how stupid that panhandle is. Even renaming it the Canada Panhandle wouldn’t be enough. It needs to be part of Canada.

As things currently stand, you can’t even get to some parts of it unless you sign up for a so-called “Alaska cruise” — Juneau, the state’s capital, has some nice souvenir shops but no roads connecting it to anywhere.

Speaking about cruises, all those ships either connect through, or start from, Vancouver and go up our Inside Passage. We’ve been subsidizing them for too long. Slap a 25 percent tariff on them, right now.

If you want to talk about Alaska, well sit down and let’s talk. How did Alaska ever become part of the U.S.? Again, look at a map. Do you see any connection at all between Alaska and the United States of America? No. The two aren’t in the slightest bit united. Check your history books — the only reason Russia sold it to the U.S. was because the U.S. didn’t want Canada to have it and jumped in ahead. (By the way, the Americans paid a paltry $7.2 million. It’s hard to believe Trump wasn’t involved.)

Anyway, once again, we got screwed. Alaska should be a territory of Canada. Maybe, if they play their cards right, it could be our 11th province. Get rid of that artificial line on the map.

But we can’t expect these changes without offering something in return. We’ll give them Alberta.

Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor.  He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.